Opinions of the Press.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 1, Issue 7, 21 December 1842, Page 4

Opinions of the Press.

THE IMPORTATION OF FLOUR DIRECT.

[The following extract wag adverted to in a leading article in our last number.]

It may be considered as an axiom, that one of the first points to be attended to in colonization, is a cheap supply of the staple articles of food. The success of a colony is mainly dependant on this. It is absolutely necessary that the colonists should be supported during the time necessary for clearing the ground, and raising crops sufficient for the supply of the colony, without draining from them the funds by which alone they can do this. In applying this to the different colonies of New Zealand, it becomes a matter of the greatest moment, that the colonist should duly weigh the advantages of the various markets from which grain or flour may be imported. At present, we are almost entirely dependant on New South Wales and Van Dieman’s Land for flour, which we can only receive from them at a great expew South Wales is by no mejlrral giw'n, country, and yet we masTflKha|PN ew South Wales exports New Zealand than does Van Dieman’s Land. By what means is New South Wales enabled to do this, seeing that she has to import a great portion of grain for her own consumption ? We find that she is enabled t<* do so by her purchases of grain frpm South America, principally from Valparaiso. What then is to prevent our own spirited merchants from doing this for themselves? At present, we not only pay them ad ditional freight on foreign wheat, but we are also paying the Sydney merchants a considerable profit on it, and

we lose that money paid for grinding the wheat, which might be advantage- — ously expended here in the same wav. The property of the public, inasmuch as the wealth of any individual of a community forms a part of the wealth of the entire community, so every sixpence sent out of chat community is clear loss. The expense of grinding the wheat daily consumed, even in Fort Nicholson, would, if spent in the colony, be a considerable s:i ing. At the very lowest computation, there cannot be less than three tons of flour consumed daily in Port Nicholson tv one; independant of the minor settlements of Wanganui and Taranaki, which are dependent on this port for their supplies ; and also, the daily Increasing population of Nelson, which must consume, at least, two tons per day. On the whole, we may safely reckon Port NichoVon a'one, as consuming one hundred tons of flour per month. A very considerable portion of the expense of this flour is totally jest to the eommunit , as it is swallowed up by the S\d:iey millers and s uppers, instead of being ground here, when the extra profit would be thrown into the hands of our own merchants. We are, to the full, as well qualified to send vessels to Valparaiso as are our Australian neighbours. Neither Van Dieipan s Land, nor Sidney have any export to Valparaiso Coal, which would form a good article of export to that port, is seldom taken, from the great expense of procuring it as vessels proceeding to Newcastle for coal, are generally detained there several weeks, and then have to pay a high price for it. It is to be hoped that the “ Brougham,” lately dispatched Irom this port to Valparaiso for a cargo of flour, will, after receiving the necessary repairs at Sydney, proceed to her original (jgstination.